Speaking at a Microsoft event in Redmond, Gregoire issued her first public response concerning NBA commissioner David Stern's criticism about the region's lack of political will to keep the team.

"With all due respect to David Stern, I haven't given up," Gregoire said. "I don't think anybody in Seattle has given up.

"I don't want, a couple of years from now, to look back with regret that we didn't do everything we could to keep the Sonics and the Storm. So I'm continuing to work and have private conversations with a good number of folks. I still remain optimistic, and I think David Stern should keep his powder dry."

Several issues need to be hashed out to prevent Sonics chairman Clay Bennett from moving the franchise to Oklahoma City, as he's requested permission from the NBA to do once his KeyArena lease situation is resolved.

Bennett and Stern both have indicated they're still open to a Seattle solution as long as it includes a new facility. For that to occur, it appears a public-private arena partnership would need to be agreed upon soon in order to present a workable plan to the Legislature in time for its upcoming Jan. 8-April 22 session.

Prentice led the push for a bill to fund an arena in Renton at the last session, but those efforts died when House Speaker Frank Chopp openly opposed the measure, which never got put to a vote.

"There was plenty of support," Prentice said. "We had votes and it was never allowed to come up, that's the sad part. I had five Republicans willing to vote with us. We had people willing to keep the team here."

Prentice said it would be important for Gregoire to put her political clout behind the issue, and also indicated the brevity of the upcoming 60-day session makes it even more critical to have a proposal in place as early as December's pre-filing period.

"The governor has been doing a lot behind the scenes and her support is essential," Prentice said. "But her support is there, no question in my mind."

More difficult would be generating a solid plan out of what seems mostly to be back-room talk among political and business brokers in the region to this point. Bennett said last week he knew of one effort brewing in the area, but that it was separate from his own involvement.

Stern mentioned the necessity of a "white knight" or "wonderful angel" coming out of nowhere. If such an entity exists, he's been publicly silent to date. Prentice mentioned talk of Bellevue real estate developer Kemper Freeman expressing interest, though she said nothing seems to have come of that.

Seattle developer David Sabey, who owns the Associated Grocers property south of Boeing Field, has also been linked with discussion of a large, multi-use project that could include an arena or convention center on the 55-acre site.

It's also possible the city of Seattle will come out with a KeyArena proposal as part of a Seattle Center makeover, though Bennett has indicated he won't be interested in anything other than a completely new arena on that site.

Prentice, whose district includes the Renton area where Bennett's original proposal would have been located, said it wouldn't be hard to find politicians to champion any such project in Olympia.

"I'd be first in line," she said. "Somebody wrote that I was sulking when I talked about (Sabey's) AG property. Why would I be upset? That would be in my district, too. And none of that matters.

"I want them to stay in the area, that's all."

Prentice scoffs at the notion that supporting an arena solution would be political suicide for those up for re-election next fall.

Timing, however, appears critical if a funding solution is to emerge. With transportation and other issues looming, the Sonics can't expect to be at the head of the legislative table.

"A lot of work would need to be done between now and opening day (of the session) to get the momentum you want," Prentice said. "With big issues, you have to have it pretty much jelling (ahead of time) because everybody has their own personal agenda. There's time, but people doing the deal would have to get busy."

Can it happen? Is there a Sonics solution hidden among all the rhetoric?

"There are all kinds of ideas out there, but I'm waiting for one that makes sense," Prentice said. "I just wish some grown-ups would come in and do some of the negotiating because it's clear that grown-ups are missing from the equation so far."